Report for 09/11/2008
Salt Water
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE
The King mackerel bite is still on over the car bodies. No big ones reported this week, but plenty of fish in the 10-15 pound range to go around. Drifting live baits is working the best, but dusters and cigar minnows are also effective. No change in the Spanish mackerel as they continue to be caught trolling Clark spoons and Mackerel trees, or drifting cigar minnows along the buoy line and the cape shoals area. Bonita schools are still with us at the 20-mile mark and picked-up on trolling spoons. Bottom fishing remains steady with live bait really starting to work on the grouper and snapper. Snapper bite starts at 80’ and the best numbers seem to be at about 100’, although several reports have the grouper and snapper closer to shore. Lighter rigs are still the key to catching more fish, but be prepared to lose a few rigs. Grouper limits are being picked up in 170-190’ of water in the hard bottom area south of Cape San Blas, mainly reds, but a few more gags and scamps are being caught as well. Tarpon are at West Pass right now.
ST JOSEPH BAY
Scallop season closes on September 10. It was a good season this year and a sign for another good year next year. Decent trout caught on the west bank of St Joseph Bay. Try sight fishing the trout on the flats between Pigs Island and Eagle Harbor and between Eagle Harbor and Pompano Cove. Live LY’s or hard/soft jerk baits for artificial are working. The reports for redfish are coming in from all over the bay. Good reports from town beach on the east side and on the west side starting outside the fire tower all the way up to Pompano Point. A few flounder caught in the channels off Blacks Island and in gulf canal and intercoastal waterway on live bull-minnows fished on a Carolina rig along the drop-offs. Many reports of much larger than normal flounder this week. Spanish mackerel are along the St. Joseph peninsula between Eagle harbor and around the tip along the Gulf beach. Trolling Clark spoons and throwing Gotcha plugs will work well for you. Tarpon have been moving in the channel off the oil docks. Try sight casting a bigger Rapala to get in on the action with these bruisers. Also, the oil docks are a hot spot for gray snapper right now.
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS
The inshore Grouper bite has been on fire! Every structure within 9 miles seems to be holding fish. No need to run out 20 miles right now. Take some big live baits and get ready for action! Black Snapper are still biting good. These fish can be caught over most any of the in-shore wrecks and reefs. The key to catching them is to lighten up. Use 1 or 2 oz’s of lead, light wire 4/0 or 5/0 circle hooks, 30 or 40# fluorocarbon leader and live cigar minnows or herring. The Red Snapper bite has remained very good. It is generally not hard to get a limit within state waters. Live cigar minnows, herring and even alewives are excellent baits. Red Snapper season is closed in Federal waters. The State Snapper season remains open within 9 miles from shore until November 1st. King Mackeral are plentiful offshore and near shore. Trolling has picked up while most of the fish are being caught free-lining live baits.
ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Trout are all over deep grass beds in all of the bays. Live alewives will produce better sized fish, while grubs and topwater plugs will yield the most strikes.
Redfish are spread out over the bay systems. On a high tide, the redfish will be laying up in the flooded Spartina Grass. Top water plugs, weedless jerk baits and gold spoons will take these fish out of the grass.
Bluefish, Spanish and Ladyfish are plentiful on all of the major points around St. Andrews Bay, the Middle Grounds, and Camel Back Shoals.
DESTIN
It has been a great week to fish. Off the jetties there has been a steady bite of black snapper on live shrimp. Some blues have been there along with hardtails and an occasional red.
On the pier they had been getting Spanish and blues almost every day. They have had some sporadic runs of kings and Friday was a very good afternoon for them. Some days they have gotten a few reds and plenty of ladyfish and hardtails.
In the bay and harbor the blues have been active. The flats past the coast guard station have had blues and ladyfish. Reds have been around the Destin Bridge and Midbay Bridge.
In the gulf the red snapper and king mackerel have been back on the bite since the passage of Gustav.
Offshore the blue water has also pushed back in. Several boats reported good water north of the spur. One boat had 2 small swordfish one nights and a Mako. A few Marlin have also been tagged and released. The path that Ike is one should only push the blue water even closer so expect the fall run of White marlin to be very good.
NAVARRE
SURF
Fishing for Pompano has started to pick up this week. There have been some reports of good fish being caught. Best baits remain live or frozen sand fleas and live and frozen shrimp. As the water continues to cool, the Pompano bite will increase. There are a lot of Ladyfish (skipjack), Spanish mackerel and Bluefish to be caught as well. Bright spoons, Gotcha plugs, Straw Rigs, Top Water and regular plugs will catch them. Live and frozen Shrimp will take them too. There is no shortage of sharks to catch on the beach, there have been a lot of reports of Bull and Blacktip sharks caught using Bonito and Skipjack (ladyfish) for bait. September and October should be great months for surf fishing.
SOUND AND BAYS
Trout remain on the grass flats in three to five feet of water. If you have no luck there try to go deeper, say five to nine feet. You can catch your biggest Trout early and late in the day on top water baits and on live baits. Live Shrimp, Tiger Minnows, Pinfish, Menhaden and Mullet all catch Trout. A host of artificial lures will catch them as well. Redfish can be caught on the same live baits and artificial lures. Work all visible and underwater structure to increase to your chances at landing a red. Skipjack, Jack Crevalle, Bluefish, Spanish Mackerel and Flounder can all be caught in the bay this time of year. King Mackerel will be in the bays from now until the water gets to cold. Try slow trolling live baits in the pass, along the three mile bridge and in front of the Palafox Pier. You can also anchor and chum for them. Put your live bait under a balloon and wait for Mr. King to come along.
NEAR SHORE – GULF
There have been some good reports of King Mackerel and Spanish mackerel caught right off the beach in the last few weeks. Live Cigar Minnows and Blue Runners (hard tails) are the bait of choice. If there are large schools of bait around the King and Spanish Mackerel are not far away. Jack Crevalle have also been caught while fishing for King and Spanish mackerel. The big Redfish have begun to show up in the pass. Jigs, cut bait and live bait all take these fish. You may encounter a slot Red while fishing, but be sure to put the big ones back. I have heard of Cobia being caught on the inshore reefs with some consistency. Use live baits or jigs to catch them.
OFFSHORE – GULF
The bottom fishing for Snapper and Grouper remains very good. Live bait and frozen bait will work on both. Don’t be surprised if an Amberjack shows up, especially if you are jigging with Butterfly jigs or fishing with live Hardtails. Black Snapper (Mangrove) have been on all the reefs this year. Use live shrimp and live Tiger Minnows. However, they will eat the same baits as Red Snapper. I have had some reports of Cobia being caught over some live bottom here lately. Don’t forget that Federal waters are closed to Red Snapper but State waters (within 9 miles) remain open. I have had some good reports of Yellowfin Tuna being caught around the offshore oil platforms. Most anglers are trolling, jigging or chumming. Look for weedlines and floating debris if you are interested in catching some Mahi Mahi, Wahoo and other species. There was a report of a good weed line about 40 miles due south of Pensacola Pass that was holding some good Mahi Mahi last weekend.
Fresh Water
No report this week.
Half Hitch Tackle
850-234-2621
2206 Thomas Dr
Panama City, FL 32408
www.halfhitch.com
Fishing Report prepared by Half Hitch Tackle Staff.
The Captains Corner Fishing Report is provided by local charter captains and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Half Hitch Tackle.
This report is dedicated to the memory of Al Hubbard.
Al Hubbard was a field editor for Florida Sportsman magazine, an outdoor writer for the News Herald and a board member of the Florida Outdoor Writer's Association.
Mr. Hubbard was also the owner of Al's Outdoors Outfitting Services.
No comments:
Post a Comment